‘An Empty Seat At The Table’ to Focus on the Dangers of Driving Under the Influence

Pennsylvania state trooper Kenton Iwaniec was killed by an impaired driver in 2008. Photo via https://trooperiwaniec.org

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Penn State police “An Empty Seat at the Table,” a community program at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the HUB Robeson Center’s Freeman Auditorium.

The event will tell the story of Kenton Iwaniec, a 24-year-old former Pennsylvania State Police trooper who was killed by an impaired driver. The goal is to bring community members together for an evening to foster a safer community.

Iwaniec’s family will educate the audience on how they’re using their tragedy to make a difference in others’ lives by discussing the dangers of driving under the influence.

More than 10,000 alcohol-related crashes happen in Pennsylvania each year, according to the Pennsylvania DUI Association. About 300 of them are fatal.

“This event is a way for University Police and Public Safety to connect and engage with the community we serve while sharing valuable information,” Charlie Noffsinger, assistant vice president of University Police and Public Safety, said in a release.

“We look forward to hearing the Iwaniec family’s story alongside members of our community. We hope the program will inspire responsible behaviors so that others do not have to suffer the unimaginable pain the Iwaniec family has endured.”

State College Area School Board on Monday authorized the purchase of field lighting for the high school's South Track field, contingent on approval of a zoning text amendment by State College Borough Council next month.

The cost of the 70-foot tall lighting and installation quoted by Musco Sports Lighting is $441,209.